Urgent help with new greenhouse and unhealthy plants! :-)

[Scran]

Hi folks,
I started to grow various herbs and cherry tomatoes indoors.
I built a small greenhouse in the backyard.
Then, when the plants looked tall/healthy enough, I moved them into the greenhouse.

Please look at this link to pictures of the greenhouse and closeups of the plants:
Greenhouse Photos by Scraniel | Photobucket

Some problems I've noticed lately:
- The cherry tomato plants' stems are bent as if they've become accustomed to reaching for light that's somehow not reaching them. Also, their first leaves have shriveled and some have detached. A couple other leaves show signs of wilting and one leaf had weird light brown spots. Also, the stems have some purple discoloration starting from the soil base... is this normal?
- The first leaf of the chive plants has (or is starting to) turned white and dying.
- The cilantro plants, like the tomatoes, also have stems which can't seem to support them and they fall around the container. Yet, the leaves are still green, but since I put them in the greenhouse, I noticed their leaves have started to appear unhealthy (withering and brownish tips).

Please help! Please look at the pictures for a better idea and I'm dying to know what I can do?

Perhaps open the ends of the greenhouse for air flow?

Note: I've been trying not to water the plants too much, because the soil in the small plastic cups containing the chives and cilantro is always damp. The tomato plants' soil is dry. How often should I be watering these?

Thanks in advance!

[zazen999]

Where are you? I am guessing the States? Or Australia? We do need to know...

This is a UK website so we aren't aware of weather etc where you are...

Chives will die back in winter and are hardy in the UK so should be outside.

Tomatoes are probably too cold; ditto cilantro.

[WendyC]

Is this greenhouse heated? If not it is way too cold for them outside, even in a greenhouse. The stems are bending as they have become drawn by growing too fast in the warm inside but with not enough light. You could repot them deeper up to the seed/first leaves and they will root from the stems. Stems can be purply but this also suggests they are too cold. Seed leaves always die off so no worries there. Personally I would get them somewhere warmer. My greenhouse is unheated, I won't be starting them indoors for at least another month and by the time they have germinated hopefully it will be warmer in the greenhousr, especially at night. I think these are never going to be strong plants, you might be better starting again in a month's time.

Have assumed UK til I saw Zazen's post.

[Scran]

Sorry, I should've mentioned that I don't live in the UK. The climate here is very temperate. Now, in the winter, it can range from 10 degrees Celsius at night to near 21 during the day. So I don't think cold is a problem.

Oh, and no, my greenhouse is not heated.

How often should I water the cherry tomatoes and the herbs? Thanks!

[WendyC]

In that case I think they were indoors searching for light for too long and are going to be spindly unless you pot them deeper. Water tomatoes when the surface starts to dry out, often the weight of the pot will tell you how dry they are. Herbs will probably need a bit less water.

[zazen999]

Sorry, I should've mentioned that I don't live in the UK. The climate here is very temperate. Now, in the winter, it can range from 10 degrees Celsius at night to near 21 during the day. So I don't think cold is a problem.

Oh, and no, my greenhouse is not heated.

How often should I water the cherry tomatoes and the herbs? Thanks!

Yes, it would have helped! Purple stems are usually a sign of chill though.

[alldigging]

What temperature does it get in the greenhouse?
Outside can be 21'c here but it'll be miles hotter inside the greenhouse

[phil the shed]

them toms they been getting too warm and too cold them's not liking extremes they take too long to recover from the shocks..
i'd plant a few more and give them steady lightb and temps

[Two_Sheds]

How often should I water the cherry tomatoes and the herbs? Thanks!

when they're dry!

This might help: how to water seedlings - YouTube